This book changed my life.
I read this book in 1980 when I was in Year 9 (go on, do the maths). It
is about the experiences of a young woman from quite a privileged background in
1914 and beyond, so it’s a good year to read the book. She had struggled
against the Edwardian idea that women should not study and should stay at home.
She battled for a place at Oxford University and had just achieved that aim
when war broke out. Her brother went to fight, along with his friend. Vera had
fallen in love with his friend. This is their story. It tells of how she gave
up her university education to volunteer as a nurse on the Western Front. Her
experiences turned her into a pacifist. I found it inspiring that someone could
be so passionate about ideals that she could let them change her destiny. The
book challenged me to study harder and to become more aware of what was
happening in the world. It gave me my Higher Education and my politics. Perhaps
this book won’t have such a strong effect on you, but is there a book that changed your
life?
